Draft key retainer



Oct. 13, 1931. D. s. BARROWS I 1,827,132

DRAFT KEY RATAINER Filed-Dec. 3, 1925 J J J 4 anuc'nfot anon-.14

Patented Oct. 13, 1931 UNITED STA' ES DONALD s. BARROWS, ornoonns'rna, New YORK, Assrenon TO THE sYM'I-ne'ron cam PANY, or new YORK, N. Y,, A CORPORATION or MARYLAND i e 131mm. KEY RETAINER Application filed. December This invention relates to retaining devices and, more particularly, to such. especially ,10 tions thereof for effectively, and conveniently 4 preventing undesired removal orloss ofsaid eys, Anobject of my invention is the provision of a, U-shaped retainer adapted for being seated on one or both ends of. draft keysat reduced sections thereof, said retainer being formed with depending armsengaging the key at such reduced section with ajportion of reduced width connecting said arms. Another object ofmy'invention-isthe provision of a'retainer adapted for embracing an associated draft key at'a portionjof reduced width thereon, said retainer being forined with depending arms'of greater width than the rest of the device whereby they provide spaced portions for engagement with the adjacent cheek plate or draft sill of the ear, said portionsextending beyond the opposite surface of the associated key and being joined by removable fastening means. i

Aifurther object of my invention is the provision of an integral inverted U-shaped draft key retainer adapted for application at an end of an associateddraft key with depending arms extending into slots or notches in the opposite side edgesof saidkey, the lower ends of said arms extending below the bottom of the key and formed with apertures therein for receiving a removable locking bar or was Other objects andadvantageslof the in s, 1925. swa 1%.- 72,969. I

which said draft rigging isapplied showing draft rigging keys with retaining devices thereon embodying the principles of my inventiong.

Figure 2' is a top plan view showing the end of a draft key with a retaining ,device embodying thefeatures of my invention applied thereon, a portion of ,an associated cheek plate being also illustrated. i I} Figure 3is anelevational view shown partso .ly in section'on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.: I a Figure 4 is an end elevational view shown partly in sectionon the line At-Aof Figure 2. Although my inventionisapplicable to draft keys generally and may be usedlwith various kinds of draft rigging, I have, for illustrative purposes, shown in Figure 1 my invention employed with draft rigging of the Farlow two-key type.- In Figure 1,, affrag- 'mentary portion of a car'underframeis illustrated and draft or'center sills 1' are shown with cheek plates 2 applied on the. outer sides of the webs 3 thereof, in'accordance with usual practice. Said cheek plates 2 are connected to the sills by 'rivets and are formed with flange portions 5 defining slotsfi and? therethrough. Through the slots 6 and 7 e3:- tend draft keys 8 and 9, respectively,,and said keys "serve for connecting andfsupporting an associated coupler 10, yoke 11, and front follower 12. Cooperating with said follower 12 and embraced between the arms of the horizontal yoke 11' illustrated is a cushioning mechanism illustrated diagrammat-ically by dot and dash lines. f

The keys 8 and 9 or one of them are formed adjacent one or both ends thereof, or intermediate said endswith a portion'13 of reduced cross section. The portion 13 may be conveniently formed by cutting notches or slots 14. in the opposite side edges thereof, as illustrated particularly in Figure 2, although, if desired, the portion of reducedcross section-may be formedin some other manner, for example, by grooving or slotting, other portions of the key, orby heading-or upsetting the end portions or an end portion thereof.

reduced section 13 thereof. If used on only one end of a key, the other end may be headed or of any usual or desired construction.

The retaining device 15 preferably comprises an integral inverted U-shaped member 16 which may" be conveniently formed by casting, said member 16 comprising depending arms 17 connected by a portion 18"prefera'bly formediot reduced width. That is,

the arms 17 oftherU shaped:member:16 are preferably Wider than the connecting portion 18 so that they engage with the adjacent flange 5 of the cheek plate 2 or with the web 3 of the draft or center sill 1, iii-exterior I'iithe device 16 is formed by casting, the inner corners between the dependingarms 1.7

and the connecting'portion18 are preferably relievedbr filleted asihdicatedatQO, so that the lower surface of. the inverted Ueshap'ed portion 16 williseat" on the upper surface of the associated key at the reduced section 13 thereof without interference atthe corners.

The lowerends of the depending arms 17 preferably extend below or beyond the opposite surface or sideof" the key to that on whichrthe co'nnecting'portion. 1'8'seats and are connected by detachable connecting means 21". Saidconnecting means 21 conveniently takes the-form of 'a. bar, one end 2201?. which is initially bent, as illustrated, and serves as t'hehead' thereof, the other end being in:- sertable through registering apertures 23 adjacent the lower ends of the depending arms 17 When the U shaped memberldis seated on the key, as illustrated, and the retaining bar 21 inserted in place, the straight end 24 thereof maybe bent from the position indi'catedfby dot and dash lines to that shown in fullflllines for reniovably' retaining the device 15' in place: hen itiis desired to remove' th'e device, the end 24tof'the rod may be readily straightenediso that the same may be removed to allow the U shaped member'16 po'be completely detached'fromthe associated rey.

Fromv the foregoing disclosure, itflwi'll be 3 apparent that I have devised anew retaining meansparticularly adapted for draft keys although, asisobvi'ous", it is suitable forother purposes. Although the Ushapedmemberis shown applied upon the top surf-ace of the key, it is obvious that I do notwish to be restricted to such a showing as, if desired, it may be applied from below with the retaining means 21 above the same. Also I do not wish to be restricted to the precise construction of the reduced section 13 on the draft rey as said section may be formed in any desired way and the retaining device 15 altered in construction accordingly. Althouglrtheconnecting; portion. 181s preferably narrower than the depending arms 17, yet I do not Wish to be restricted to such a showing'as it may be deemed advisable to form the same of a corresponding width or otsuclr a width that it will engage the adjacent portion or flange of the associated cheek plate and provide an increased bearing rea therebetween.

Having now described my-invention', what I claim is:

1 In. combination, a flat draft key el'ongated in cross section and havingi'ntermed-i'- ate its ends aportion of'reduced cross section, and retaining. means embracing said key at said portion of reduced section, said mea-ns comprising memberwith an intermediate portion seated on the key, dependingarms wider than said intermediate portion in" the direction of the axis of'tlie key, and rigid-died by a rib extending from end to end'along the upper face thereof and detachable means extending between the free ends of said arms on the other side-of said key.

2. In combination .with 'arailway vehicle underframe', adra-ft'k'ey elongated in cross section and having'a portion of reduced cross section intermediate its ends andretai ning means embracingisaid key at said portion, said means comprising" a member formed with spaced arms, .the' sides only of which are ad apted to engage the adjacent portions of the und'erframe, connectedby a portion of reduced: width. and'being; seated on said key with detachable means extending between the free ends" ofsaidarms' on the opposite side of the key from the portion of reduced width, said connecting portion being of; maximum depth adjacent to center and taperingin depth toward each end.

31 In combination, a draft'key having intermediate its ends shouldered portions formed in opposite side edges of said key, and retaining means embracing said key, said means comprising'an integral inverted U- sl'rap'ed memberwithf arms of relatively' great width engaging said shoul.deredportions, the connecting" portion between said arms being relatively narrow and formed with a rib therealong increasing in strengthtowards i ts central portion, said arms extending; beyond the opposite side of the key and beingconnected'by: detachable means extending therebetween.

4. In combination, .a draft-key elongated in cross section and formed with notches .or

slots adjacent one endthereof', and retaining means extending into said notches and embracing said key, said means comprising an inverted U-shaped member formed with de pending arms extending into and of a width greater than the intermediate portion so as to fill said notches and ,continuedvbelow the bottom surface of the key, that portion of said U-shaped member between said arms being reinforced by an outstanding rib, apertures 19 formed in the portions of the arms below said key and detachable means extending through said apertures for preventing undesired removal of said retaining means.

5. A draft key retaining device comprising 15 a relatively narrow intermediate portion rigidified by a tapering rib and adapted to seat on a flat key and depending end portions enlarged axially of the key and adapted to fit in notches therein at a reduced section thereof and apertured for receiving detachable fastening means.

6. A retaining device adapted for embracing a flat draft key at a notched section thereof comprising an inverted U-shaped member 85 with a straight intermediate portion reinforced by an upstanding flange and adapted to seat on the flat top of said key and depending arms for completely closing the notches, the lower ends of said arms being an adapted for connection by a detachable member serving to prevent undesired removal of the device when in place.

7 A retainingdevice comprising an integral inverted U-shaped member formed with 5 depending arms of relatively great width, a

connecting portion between said arms of reduced width and a tapering rib extending along said connecting portion for strengthening the same, said rib being relatively 0 strong at its central portion and merging at its ends into the depending arms, the lower ends of said arms being adapted for temporary connection for holding the device in place.

8. A retaining device comprising an inverted U-shaped member with a straight intermediate portion reinforced by a tapering rib and adapted to seat on a flat draft key and arms adapted to embrace said key at a portion of reduced section and formed of increased dimension axially of said key, said arms being adapted to extend beyond the opposite surface of the associated key and formed with perforations adjacent said surface and a retaining member adapted for insertion through said perforations for preventing undesired removal of the device.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

DONALD S. BARROWS. 

